Shock diffuser



Jan. 19 1926.

F. F. LANDIS SHOCK DIFFUSER 2 Sheets-She a 1 Filed Nov. 13 1924 Jan. 19 1926. 1,570,159

F. F. LANDIS SHOCK DIFFUS ER Filed Nov. 13. 1924 Z'Sheets- Sh et 2 Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES I FRANK F. LANDIS, OI WAYNEBBOBO, PENNSYLVANIA.

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Application filed November 13, 1924. Serial Io. 748,760.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waynesboro, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Shock Diffusers, of which the followIng is a specification.

My said invention relates to a shock diffuser and it is an object of the same to provide an improved hydraulic apparatus of the character described in which oil may be used but where no frothing or foaming of the oil shall occur during violent o eration of the device, therefore no mulc ing of the oil.

The invention is janus-faced, all work strains being equally divided .b a common center. The same unit is attachable at the right or left and back or front of the bod of an automobile. There is no waste of oi no packed joints are required, no adjustments are required to accommodate a l'ght or heavy load, the action is silent, and the device is light in weight, small in bulk, inconspicuous, and quickly accessible for inspection without the use of-tools.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar arts,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my device;

Figure 2, a vertical section at right angles to Figure 1;

Figure 3, a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4, a vertical section of an oiling device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5, asection on line 5-'5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6, a fragment of the connection between a. piston and a rocker arm, shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 7, a fragmentaryelevation of a connecting rod attached to the vehicle axle or any unsprung part of an automobile taken at right anglesto the pos'tion of Figure 1.

In the drawings reference character 10 indicates a housing adapted to be attached to the right or left back or'front end of a vehicle frame by anchor bolts passing through holes at 11 and 12. The housing is open at its lower end and preferably slightly tapered to form a seat for the upper margin of a container or tank 13 for liquid referably oil), the preferred uppzr love of said liquid being indicated at The slightly tapered lower end of housing 10 and the upper margin of the container 13 form a slip joint around the lower end of 10 and a. bail 16 pivoted at 17 is arranged to extend under the liquid container '13 and lengthwise thereof for holding the same in place. It will be seen that the bail can easily be swung to one side whereupon the tank may be detached by a downward pull as for replenishing the oil or inspecting interior details.

A pair of bolts 18 have threaded engagement with the housing 10 and extend downward therefrom nearly to the bottom of the tank. These bolts support a cross-head 19 by means of nuts on the respective bolts and the cross-head has a piston 20 pivoted thereon at 21 midway between said bolts. This joint will never produce a rattle since gravity acting on the parts holds the parts down in the same direction as the action of the force of a spring recoil. The piston has an apertured head 1n which is situated a large and free intake valve 21 having a depending stem 22 with a pin 23 extending crosswise thereof near its lower end. A sleeve 24 is supported by the pin, said sleeve having an outwardly extending flange at its lower end. A. spring 25 rests on said flange and at its upper end bears resiliently against elbowed cross bar 26. Said crossbar at its ends bears against the underside of the surface around the valve opening at the upper end of piston 20, and the spring presses ownward on the valve stem through the sleeve 24 to reenforce the action of gravity or to quicken the closing movement of the valve 21 on its seat before the automobile sprin starts to recoil. I have found that with ow oil temperatures, the gravity of valve 21 during certain spring movement was not suflicient to close the valve promptly enou h "to seat it before the start of automobi e spring recoil and on that accountcaused a slight jar after the start of recoil.

:The housing has near its upper end a 33 at opposite ends'which are large enough to extend partially over the ends of the pins 29 so that when the nut on said bolt is screwed down the pins are fixed securely in place. To keep dust out of the journal, a pair of flanged disks 34 are mounted on opposite ends of the journalunder the working ends of levers 30 and 31, the flanges of said disks fitting about annular enlargements around the said bearings 27, and their outside'diameter being finished concentric with said bearings on opposite sides of the housing. Said disks 34 are perforated to receive said pins 29 and said bolt 32.

A rocka-rm 35 is positioned between the journals 28, said rockarm having apertures for the pins 29 and the bolt 32 whereby it is held in fixed relation to the levers 30, 31.

The rockarm comprises a disk of slightly larger diameter than the. journals 28 and'has an extension at one side provided with an aperture in which is supported with a pressed fit a pin 36 by which the forked stem 37 which projects from the upper and closed end of an inverted cylinder 38. is pivotally connected to the rockarm. In order'to avoid lost motion between the pin 36 and the bearings inthe forked ends of stem 37, a bent leaf spring 39 is employed (Figs. '1, 3 and 6) which is secured at its upper end to a pin 40 theends of which aresupported in apertures-in projections on the stem 37, while the other end of said spring is bent to conform to the contour of the upper side of the rockarmr whereby the spring will tend to force the rockarm and pin 36 down and the stem 37 upward which is the same direction in which the force of the recoil will move the parts, thereby avoiding all possi bility of the connection between 37 and said rockarm 35 causing a rattle, if the pin 36 is not a perfect working fit in the bearings through the forked end of 37. Even if such joints be perfect when constructed they will always by use soon acquire sufiicient looseness to cause lost motion and a rattle, and this is what is avoided by my construction.

The outer ends of the levers 30, 31 are connected to a part 41 which is secured in any suitable manner to the axle or other unsprung part of the running gear, by a rod 42 threaded at one end for connection to a cap 43 through which a pin 44 passes (Figs.

7 against the cross-pin 44. A spring 47 presses the pin 46 against the cross-pin with sufficient force to maintain a constant hearing or contact of pin 44 against the upper side of the hole across the upper end of cap 43, which is the position it holds during auto spring recoil preventing any possibi ity of a rattle as with a loose joint.

At its lower end the rod 42 is pivotally connected to a foot-piece 48. A recess in the foot-piece opens upward and a spring 50 in the recess presses a plug 51 against the lower end of the rod 42 thereby holding pin 52 in constant contact with the rod 42 and the foot-piece 48 in the direction they always are during automobile spring recoil. The springs 47 and 50 are so arranged as to insure constant contact between the pins 44 and 52 and the parts in engagement therewith in the direction they are in contact when a spring recoil occurs, or at the side where the pull'of the automobile spring recoil causes the attached parts' to bear against the pins. By'the arrangement described for the pins 36,44 and 52 alllost' motion in connection with a spring recoil is efiectively prevented and thus there is no chance of a rattle at any place due to a loose joint. The only point within the casing where a rattle would be likely-to occur in the absence of special precautions is .at pivot 36 and this effect is precluded by the use of spring 39. All lost motion in the connecting joints between the forked stem 37 and the foot piece 48 is eliminated by this construction, leaving only positive connections in one direction, which is the direction they are operating during all automobile spring recoil movements.

In my previous constructions of hydraulic means for governing automobile spring actions, the major difficulty has been caused by violent agitations on the top surface of the main body of oil in the retainer or tanlr 13, causing it to froth producing internal pressure which caused extravagant waste of the oil, within and around the main bearings and journals 27 and 28, which were always excessively lubricated, causing much waste of oil and very frequent refilling, but with my present construction there is no agitation on top surface of the oil in retainer 13. Experience so far with my present construction indicates that capillary attraction. that is the oil creeping up the sides of the inner surface of the housing 10, lubricates the journals 28 and bearings 27 sufficiently to prevent abrasion of either the journals or their bearings. I

' In case such lubrication should not be suflicient, due to long cont-inuous action or to heavy oil, I have provided a simple auto- .matic means for supplying additional oil to that brought by capillary attraction to the journals without excessive waste of oil through bearings 27. Such means comprises a pipe 53 secured near its lower end to a bolt 18 by means of an'apertured plate 54 or other convenient form of holding device,

said plate in this instance being held in place by a set screw 55. The pipe is bent sharply at its lower end to provide a funnel 56 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) which funnel is approximately in the path of a violent movem'entof oil as it emerges from the lower end of a bypass pipe 59 which is beneath the surface of the liquid in the tank. The upper end of this pipe communicates with the upper and closed end of an inverted cylinder 38.

When violent recoil of automobile springs occurs, the downward current of oil from the lower end of bypasspipe 59 is by its momentum sufficient during violent automobile spring recoils to occasionally deliver a few drops of oil up through pipe 53 into or above the lip 57 in the upper end of houaing 10. formed by lip 57 the oil gravitates through small oil holes 58 leading to the upper surface of the journals 28. The value of the bypass 59 is due to the fact that a limited amount of oil remains between the inverted cylinder and the piston at the upper end of the cylinder even when the movements of the cylinder reach the maximum. This oil is not circulated with the remainder of the oil in the retainer 13 in the absence of the bypass 59 but remains in the upper end of the cylinder and becomes heated due -to the continuous succession of impulses of the shock difiusing elements and the high pressure. Under these conditions it forms a gas in the upper end of the cylinder 38.

uch a gas is necessarily elastic and offersv no effective resistance at the start of the recoil of the/automobile springs since the gas must firstbe compressed by such movement. Hydraulic resistance is not established to govern the spring recoil until the stored active before the start of spring recoil; if-

the speed governing means do not start or become active until after the beginning of spring recoil, then the check to such spring recoil produces an unpleasant jar.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the, art that various changes may be madej in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I donot limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims. 7 Having thusfully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire ,to secure by Letters Patentis: I 1.'In a shock diffuser, a chamber adapted to be fixedto the body of a vehicle said chamber containing a body of liquid a fixed depending yoke extending below the level From the bottom of the trough of the liquid, :1 piston on said fixed yoke, a movable cylinder for said piston having its lower rim below the level of. said liquid, and connections from said cylinder to the running gear of the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

2. In a shock difl'user, a chamber adapted to be fixed to the body of a vehicle said chamber containing a body of liquid, a fixed depending yoke extending below the level of the liquid, a piston on said fixed yoke, a movable cylinder for said piston having its-lower rim below the level of said liquid, connections from said cylinder to the running gear of the vehicle, and means adjacent individual-joints in said connections acting in the direction of transmission of a spring recoil for preventing lost motion in said joints, substantially as set forth.

3. In a shock diffuser, a chamber adapted to be fixed to the body of a vehicle said chamber containing a body of liquid, a fixed depending yoke extending below the level of the liquid, an apertured piston on said fixed yoke, a movable cylinder for said 'piston having its lower rim below the level of said liquid, a valve closing the aperture in the piston during relative approaching movement of the cylinder and piston, and

connections from said cylinder to the running gear of the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

4. In a shock diffuser, a housing, journals mounted for oscillation in bearing openings in the walls of said housing, a rockarm between said journals, means securing the rockarm and the journals together, and a movable shock-diffusing element carried by said rockarm, substantially as set forth.

5. In a shock diffuser, a housing, a pair of disks mounted to oscillate in hearings on the, housing, a rockarm between adjacent faces of said disks, and a movable shock- -difl'u'sing element on said rockarm, substantially as set forth.

6. In a shock diffuser, a housing, a pair of disks mounted to oscillate in bearings on the housing, a rockarm between "adjacent nectingsaid disks and rockarm together oscillation, and a movable shock-diffusing element on said rockarm, substantially as set forth.

*7. In a shock diffuser, a housing, a pair of disks mounted to oscillate in bearings on the housing, a rockarm between adjacent faces of said disks, a plurality of pins connecting said disks and rockarm together for oscillation, a bolt extending axially of said disks,

"avash'ers on said bolt. engaging the ends of the pins outside the housing, and a m0vable. shock-diffusing element on said 'rockarm, substantially as set forth.

8. In a shock difiuser, a housing, a pair Cal Inn

' faces of said disks, a plurality of pins conof disks mounted to oscillatein bearings on the housing, a rockarm between adjacent faces of said disks, pins connecting the disks to the rockarm, levers on said pins outside the housing, and means to hold the levers in place, substantially as set forth.

9. lln a shock diffuser, a housing, a pair of disks mounted to oscillate in bearin s on the housing, a rockarm between ad acent faces of said disks, pins extending through said disks and rockarm beyond said housing, means at the ends of the journals to exclude dust from the bearings, and levers mounted on the outer ends of said pins, substantially as set forth.

10. In a shock diffuser, a housing adapted to be secured to the frame of a vehicle, a container for a body of fluid below the lions ing, a yoke on the housing extending into the container, a shock diffusing element carried by the housing movable in said body of fluid and a co-operating shock diffusing element carried by said yoke, substantially as set forth.

ll. In a shock diffuser, a housing adapted to be secured to the frame of a vehicle, a container for a bod of fiuid below the housing a yoke on the ousing extending into the container, a cylinder and a piston carried by said yoke and said housing respectively, andconnections from one of said elements'to the running gear of said vehicle, substantially as set forth.

12. In a shock diffuser, a janus-faced housing adapted to be secured to either side of the frame of a vehicle, a container for a body of fluid below the housing, a yoke on the housing extending into the container, a cylinder carried by the housing, a piston pivoted on the yoke, and connections from the cylinder to the running gear for moving the cylinder toward the piston to check the recoil of the vehicle springs, substantially as set forth.

1%. ln a shock diffuser, housing adapted to be secured to the frame of a vehicle, a container for a body of liquid below the housing, a yolre on the housing extending into the container, a cylinder carried by the housing with its lower in rgin below the level of said body of. liqui. a pi oted on the yolre, a1 connections 1r cylinder to the for moving cylinder toward the piston checl: re coil the vehicle springs, substantially as inva es tachment to a vehicle body or the like, means to support a body of oil below the housing, a

journal in the housing, a shock difiusing ele-' ment supported by said journal, and means to force oil to said journal from said body of oil, substantially as set forth.

16. In a shock diffuser, a. housing, a con tainer for a body of liquid beneath the housing, a rockarm journaled in the housing, an inverted reciprocating cylinder on the rockarm depending into said body of liquid, a bv-pnss pipe leading down from the closed end of the cylinder, a piston co-operating with the cylinder, a funnel below the upper surface of a body of liquid said funnel lo cated within the downward current from said bypass pipe, and a pipe leading from the funnel to a point adjacent the bearings for the rockarm for lubricating them, subs antially as set forth.

17. In a shock diffuser, a housing, a container for a body of liquid beneath the housing, a rockarm journaled in the housing,

a shock-diffusing element on said rockarrn coacting with said liquid, 2.- plura-lized' or double lever straddling the housing and fixed to said rock arm, and a pivoted link connecting the free end of said lever to the running gear of the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

18. In a shock difiuser, a housing, a con tainer for a body of liquid beneath the housing, a rockarin journaled in the housing, a shock diffusing element on said rockarrn coacting with said liquid, a lever fixed to said roclrarrn, a link pivoted at one end to said lever and at the other to an unsprung part of the vehicle, and means to maintain contact of the pivots and the parts connected thereby in the direction of the force exerted on a recoil of the vehicle springs, substantially as set'lorth.

19, la ashoclr diii user, a housing, a container tor a body of liquid beneath the housing, a rocirarrn supported between two journals in the housing, a shoclr-ditl'using element on said rockarin coacting with said liquid, levers fixed to said journals and rockarni, rigid rod pivoted at one end to said levers d the other to an element of the sale ie vehicle, coil springs at each end 7 l acting in the direction of the n seed on recoil of a vehicle spring i contact of said pivots, and blocks the ends of the springs and the ad:

' g surfaces, substantially as set i COZEHUEHQIL.

21. In a shock diffuser, a janus-faced housing adapted to be attached to either side of the frame or body of a vehicle, a contained for a body of liquid below the housin said container being in Contact with sai housing around the lower margin of the same forming a slip joint, and a yoke pivoted to the housing which supports said liquid container, substantially as set forth.

22. In a shock diffuser, a unit housing forming a base for all apparatus details, in combination with a liquid retainer attached to the bottom of said housing by a slip joint, and a swing bail jointed to said housing for supporting said retainer, substantially as set forth.

23. In a shock diffuser, a housing for attachment to a vehicle body or the like, means to support a body of oil below the housing, a journal in the housing, a shock diffusing element supported by said journal, a pipe leading from said body of oil to said journal, and means to force oil through said pipe to said journal, substantially as set forth.

24. A hydraulic shock diffuser comprising a janus-faced housing adapted for rigid attachment to either side of an automobile body adjacent to either end thereof, a container for a body of liquid carried by said housing, a shock difl'using element movable in said liquid, and connections from said element to an unsprung part of the automobile, substantially as set forth.

25. A hydraulic shock difluser comprising a j anus-faced housing adapted for rigid at tachment to either side of an automobile body adjacent to either end thereof, a quickly detachable container for a body of liquid carried by said housing, a shock diffusing element movable in said liquid, and connections from said element to an unsprung part of the automobile, substantially as set forth.

26. A hydraulic shock diffuser comprising a housing adapted for rigid attachment to a vehicle, a container for a body of liquid quickly detachable means for holding said container in place on said housing, shock diffusing means movable in said body of liquid, and connections from said means to an unsprung element of the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

27. A hydraulic shock difl'user comprising a housing adapted to be secured rigidly to an automobile body, means in connection with the housing for retaining a body of liquid, a shock diffusing element movable in said body of liquid, bearings at opposite sides of said housing, a journal in said bearings forming an unpacked joint with the housing, connections from the journal to the shock diffusing element, levers secured to said journal, and connections from said levers to an unsprung element of the automobile,

substantially as set forth.

28. I11 a shock diffuser a cylinder, a piston within said cylinder of a diameter slightly less than the-inside diameter of said cylinder whereby a thin annular passage around said piston is provided, and a tube leading from the closed end of said cylinder which in connection with said annular passage around said piston constitutes a liquid by-pass from the cylinder whereby the liquid violently discharged during the auto spring recoil from said pipe and said annular assage passes beneath a body of liqui in which said cylinder is partly submerged, substantially as set forth.

29. A hydraulic shock diffuser comprising a reciprocating cylinder in combmation with an oscillatin piston therein the open end of said 0 lin er being submer ed in a body of liqui substantially as set orth.

30. A hydraulic shock difi'user comprising a cylinder, a piston fitting freely therein, and means for directing the liquid dischar e from the cylinder on the compression stro e downward and beneath the surface of a body of liquid, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, this 6th day of October, A. 1). nineteen hundred and twenty-four.

' FRANK F. LANDIS. [LS-1 

